Heyyy everyone and happy Saturday! Good news, my bitch ass is feeling better! Bad news, Sunday is Lil Red’s blogging day off, as you all know, so allow me to leave you with a fun post for the weekend until the Monday Update and Man Crush Monday posts commence!
With fall on the horizon, every white girl comes out of her spray tanned summer hibernation in search of all things pumpkin flavored. I promise you guys I’m not that girl…You know I would never tan! BUT, I am very excited for the upcoming autumn season, so let me tell you why!
PEACOATS!!! Honestly, this is my number one reason why I love fall. I loves me a good peacoat and I can’t wait to put my navy blue, red and blue plaid, and emerald green coat babies to work this season! #peacoatparty
Semi-cold weather AKA my favorite type of weather! Summer weather is too hot for a Lil Red, winter is too cold, and spring is too rainy but fall weather…fall weather is just right!
Fall clothing in general! This ties into both of the previously mentioned statements but it must be said. Fall. Clothing. Is. The. Best. Point blank, period. I love nothing more than sweet sweaters, cozy cardigans, booties, flannels, chunky scarves, fingerless gloves, the whole shebang. If it’s an article of clothing you can wear in the fall, you bet your sweet ass that I’m excited for it! #betyourbottomdollar #andyoursweetass
The colors!!!! Ugh, the autumn color palette makes my heart so warm. Burnt oranges, mustard yellows, deep reds – fabulous on the changing leaves of trees and on those cozy cardigans I just mentioned! Burnt orange has been my latest obsession, so I’m really excited to feed that addiction even more with a fall shopping trip soon!
One – ONLY one Pumpkin Spice Latte. Yeah, yeah, such a white girl, I know. But it’s not fall for a suburban girl without one PSL from Starbucks! I’ll be indulging in my pumpkin treat this morning for a coffee date with my dear friend, Tyler. Yum!
Halloween – it’s a given. Except I can’t decide on if being Agnes from Despicable Me is a good idea because she’s not particularly slutty…Does anyone have a naughty nurse costume I can borrow? #please??
HAUNTED HOUSES! I love them! I love them! I. Love. Them. Fun fact for ya: my first job was working as an actor at a haunted house and I had the time of my life! I also picked up smoking cigarettes there…But that’s beside the point.
Fall weather hang outs AKA the best kind of hang outs! I absolutely adore fall time activities! Hiking through the metro parks, scary movie marathons, crafting, drinking apple cider, drinking hard apple cider – it’s all so much fun! Everything increases in enjoy-ability when the air is crisp, your cheeks are flushed, and you’re with some of your favorite people.
White girl watching…it’s like people watching, but better! Fall time is the white girl’s peak season to emerge and prosper. The temperatures have dropped which means so have people’s standards! Thus, yoga pants, leggings, and Ugg boots are somehow acceptable to wear in society. May god help us all…But anyways, I always get a kick out of seeing all of the white girls in their flock of spandex pants and boots that were made out of the skin of sheep who were tortured. Bonus points if there’s a Pumpkin Spice Latte in their hands!! #UGHboots
^^^ Current blogging soundtrack, judge me for it. #whitegirl 😉
So there you have it! A few Lil Red Reasons of why I’m Excited For Fall! What is everyone most looking forward to this autumn? Who has some fall time traditions that will be taking place? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Happy Halloween! I hope all of you guys had a fantastically fun Halloween weekend! I know I did. You guys are gonna laugh when I tell you that I didn’t go out at all for Halloween. I stayed home and watched The Conjuring with my parents and hit the hay. I’ve been working nonstop these past few days at Next on top of my school work and to top it off, I’ve been a bit under the weather. So I opted to stay home. My parents and I had a blast watching The Conjuring together. It was so appropriately playing on HBO on Halloween night! I saw this movie when it came out in theaters with my sister and we were both scared senseless, but my parents had never seen it before since they’re not big scary movie fans. They were in for a treat! My mom screamed so many times during the flick it was ridiculous – but then again when I first saw the movie, I was that girl in the theater screaming my ass off! There were so many times when we were watching that I jumped along with the rents at the scary parts even though I had already seen the movie! I just couldn’t help myself!! Now when I mentioned earlier that my parents aren’t big scary movie fans, I was putting it lightly. They hate them. So it was funny to me that both my mom and dad really enjoyed the movie! The cool thing about The Conjuring is that it’s not just a stupid slasher film – there’s an actual story behind all of the scary stuff. I think that’s why myself and my parents enjoyed the movie. And can I just say, the girl who plays April in that movie is the cutest little thing in the whole world! Such a doll. Before movie night started with my parents, my sister needed help getting in costume for the Halloween party she was attending with her boyfriend, Ramon. Kristen dressed up as Link from The Legend of Zelda and looked SO FREAKING CUTE! While Ramon opted for being a ninja. The entire time Kristen was primping and preparing, Ramon and I kept laughing about how easy guys have it in life. All Ramon had to do was throw on a black hoodie and pants and he had a costume! Kristen spent at least an hour getting picture perfect, it probably took Ramon ten minutes! Lucky! They both looked great though, as you can see in the pictures below!
Kristen and Ramon are seriously the cutest couple ever. I love them both so much. The best thing about them is that they never make me feel like I’m the third wheel when we’re all hanging out together. We always end up having a blast! They were so sweet, the entire time Kristen was getting ready they both tried to get me to go with them to the party, but I politely declined. It’s hard going out and going to parties when you’re only twenty, because at some point or another everyone ends up going to the bars, and I can’t go. Maybe I should just get a fake ID like McLovin in Superbad! 😉 I already knew that’s what was going to happen on Halloween night, because my sister had previously mentioned that that was the game plan. But when I’m twenty-one next year, look out!! All in all, it was a super fun Halloween night. I had a ball hanging out with my sister and her man candy until they left and I had some great quality time with my parents as well!
What did everyone do for Halloween? What did you dress up as? How drunk did you get? 😉 Leave me a comment and let’s chat! Happy Sunday! -Sarah
It was Halloween night in the ballroom of ABC Family’s Dancing With The Stars tonight, and it was full of frightening fun! Ghouls, goblins, and zombies took the stage for some scary good…and not so good performances! Here’s a few of the dances that took the cake for me tonight:
Bethany and Derek’s Paso Doble: I’ve never commended Bethany before in my dances of the night, because I’ve never really cared to. But OMG. This little lady was FANTASTIC tonight. I loved this Paso! It was dark, mature, edgy, and so freaking cool. I felt like I was watching a diva queen Little Red Riding Hood with Maleficent hair perform. This routine was the perfect mix of Halloween fun and Paso technique. Not once did I feel like Bethany was being over shadowed or couldn’t handle the theatrics or additional performers in the routine. Derek Hough is too good for words. His choreography and concept ideas are one in a million. I was in love with the red hooded drummers and the creepy soundtrack to this dance. Drop dead gorgeous.
Alfonso and Witney’s Rumba: I feel like I give a shout out to this team every week, but I can’t help myself. They’re my absolute favorite and this Rumba was gorgeous. This routine was a much quicker pace than the Rumba’s we’re used to on DWTS and I loved it. The quick tempo gave this dance an entirely fresh feel but it still held true to traditional Rumba lines, moves, and content. Miss Witney looked absolutely beautiful tonight – like a ghostly little angel! And Alfonso can swerve his hips for days! Lord have mercy!!!! Also, congratulations are in order to him and his expecting wife!
Unfortunately, these were the only two dances that really stuck out for me tonight. If you’ve read my previous reviews of DWTS, you’ll know that I don’t particularly care for Lea and Artem. Their Argentine Tango wasn’t bad tonight, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Artem’s choreography was unique and different and I can appreciate that, however I didn’t care for the routine. And just because I didn’t give a special shout out to Tommy and Peta tonight, doesn’t mean I didn’t like his performance! His Quickstep was filled with cheeky fun and his kicks and flicks were on point! Bruno was right, “the seasoned magician still has a few tricks up his sleeve!” The Old Black Magic was definitely working in Tommy and Peta’s favor tonight. Mr. Tommy is the oldest celebrity at seventy-six to make it this far in the competition, so major props to him!
Now, onto my critiques and personal opinions of the dances I was not so thrilled with:
Sadie and Mark’s Paso Doble: In the words of my father, who I watch DWTS faithfully with every Monday night: “What was that?” Miss girl was absolutely over powered by this routine. Quite frankly, I can’t take a serious dance like the Paso seriously from a girl holding a teddy bear and a zombie. There was SO much happening in this routine, from the additional dancers and set changes that you could barely even tell what this dance was. It’s really too bad, because when given the opportunity to dance the Paso, the stars are given a chance to show their ability. Unfortunately, this routine showed no ability at all because of the business of the production. Whomp whomp.
Janel and Val’s Viennese Waltz: I actually quite liked the idea of this dance, but there wasn’t a lot of content in the routine. When the dancing was happening, I thought it looked terrific and Janel looked fabulous. That was actually my main and only thought on that performance. Aside from the fact that whomever was performing the song Secret by The Pierces sounded AWFUL. Squeaky squeaky squeakyyyyy. -_______- Having said that, Val looked fine as usual! I wouldn’t mind having a Val doll of my own! ;))
Michael and Emma’s Jive: Oh sweet lord. First off, let me say: I LOVE Michael. I think he’s hilarious, and he tries his best, and I’m a fan. But let’s face it. It’s week eight now, and like Len, I’m absolutely shocked that Michael is still truckin on through the competition. I respect the fact that he gives his all into every routine, but there’s a lot of people who got eliminated who could dance a whole lot better than him. It’s almost unfair that Jonathan and Antonio got the boot before him. Not saying that they were going to win, but they had a lot more to offer to the show. But clearly the fans love this team, so who am I to judge?! The only things I could think of while watching this Jive was “oh my god” (and not in the good way!) and of this classic SNL skit starring Will Ferrell where he happens to sing “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”.
So there you have it, my humble opinions on this Halloween themed episode of Dancing With The Stars. What was your favorite performance tonight? Do you think it was fair that Antonio got eliminated? Who do you think is going to win this season? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! Goodnight. -Sarah
Recommendations one through ten from yours truly ❤ :
1) Read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. If you read my article about this book, you’ll already know how much I love it. I just finished rereading this novel by Rachel Joyce today and it still made me cry just as much as when I read it the first time. I’m really looking forward to reading Rachel Joyce’s other book, Perfect. So be on the look out for my thoughts on that once I start reading it!
2) Go on a hike by yourself. Seriously this may be one of the best things you ever do for yourself. If you read my article An Ohio Hike, you’ll know that I had an absolutely lovely solo hiking experience this past week. I felt so at peace when I was walking through the forest with just me, myself, and I. Hearing the sounds of nature and being alone with my own thoughts was so calming. Walking through the beautiful Ohio Metroparks is definitely something I’d like to continue doing.
3) Write a letter to yourself. I know, I know, so corny right? Contrary to popular belief – it’s not. One of my first college assignments this past week was to write a letter to my future self. My professor promised all of her students that she wouldn’t be reading our letters, just simply mailing them back to us when she felt the time was right. Our only guideline for the assignment was to be kind to ourselves. With that in mind, I wrote a letter straight from the heart to my future self. I wrote all of the positive affirmations I tell myself and then some and it felt so good. Seeing the words I speak to myself in my head on paper made phrases like “you’re beautiful inside and out” very real to me. If that makes sense? If you’d like to read exactly what I wrote to myself, you can check out my article Letter to Myself. Once you complete your letter, tuck it away somewhere special and whenever you need reassurance or positivity, it will be there for you.
4) Listen to Mika!!!! This lovely gentleman is one of my biggest guilty pleasures. I was playing him on my way home from work yesterday night and had a blast. I completely forgot how much I enjoy his gorgeous vocals and insane falsetto. This is a true story, I discovered Mika years ago when they used his track We Are Golden in a Degrassi commercial on TeenNick. I loved the song so much that I had to hear more. Screaming “we are not what you think we are, we are golden, we are golden” in my car with the windows down last night was exactly what I needed after a day at work! Mika’s talent is so pure and impressive and I can’t get enough of it.
5) Check out the bands Fallen Captive and Below The Tide: Two of the fantastic gentlemen who work at Odd Fellows Tattoos in Akron (where I got my latest tattoo done) are also members of some pretty cool heavy metal bands. Travis Lamont who did my gorgeous Isis piece this weekend plays a mean guitar for Below The Tide while Mitch Pivarski of Fallen Captive lays down some insane vocals. Help support Akron Ohio’s local music scene by showing these guys some love! These gents are two of the best guys you’ll ever meet, and I’m so glad to have the pleasure of knowing them!
6) While you’re at it, give Odd Fellows Tattoos a like: I had the pleasure of getting my latest ink addition done here, and the experience was nothing but positive. You can read all about it in my latest article Body Mods! Part 2. This shop is inhabited by fantastic tattoo artists, piercers, and the all around coolest guys ever. Please show the Akron body art scene some love by giving their Facebook page a like. Make sure you browse through all of the photos of the amazing work that gets done there on the daily. And in case you haven’t seen my newest tattoo yet, here’s a pic of the goddess Isis, done by Travis Lamont, as well as their Facebook page.
7) Pamper yourself: A few nights ago I took the most amazing bubble bath ever. I lit some fall scented candles in the bathroom, played the gorgeous Amy Winehouse on my iPod, and filled up the tub with some floral scented suds. This sounds like such an obvious thing to do, but sometimes we forget to give ourselves a little treat. I didn’t realize how tense I was from the days work until I sunk into the steaming water. Amy Winehouse is one of the best artists to play while taking a bubble bath – she makes everything so much more luxurious! Enya is also a highly recommended bath time artist as well! After I got out of the tub, I wrapped myself in a fluffy new towel to dry off. As an extra treat I lathered on some Satsuma body butter from The Body Shop. My skin was soft as a baby’s bottom after that! BTW, I believe all of The Body Shop’s bath and body care is half off right now on their website, so take a look if you’re interested! http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/
8) Listen to Say Hi (formerly known as Say Hi To Your Mom): I absolute adore Mr. Eric Elbogen of Say Hi. I’ve been a fan of this one man band for quite some time now, but have been listening to him very frequently as of late. I can’t get enough of the quirky lyrics of this Seattle native. From the haunting lullaby like tune of “I Think I’ll be a Good Ghost” to making a morbid lyric like “I’m gonna drink your blood” in “Blah Blah Blah” sound romantic – this guy can do no wrong. I stumbled upon this artist when he was still Say Hi To Your Mom. I was strolling through the CD section of Best Buy with my brother, when I pointed out the funny name of Eric Elbogen’s act and we shared a laugh. Once I got home, I was curious about what the music of Say Hi To Your Mom sounded like, so I looked it up, and the rest is history.
9) Do a Halloween activity: This Friday night my sister, her boyfriend, and myself went to The Haunted Schoolhouse and Laboratory in Akron. We had a blast! We only went through the Laboratory because we didn’t feel like paying for both houses. Both haunted houses boast four floors of fright. There were a lot of really cool rooms in the Laboratory, like an operating room, a room inspired by the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and a dentists office. The timing of the actors in the haunted house was so perfect. They would pop out right when we were more than half way through a room with the thought that we wouldn’t get a scare. It was like they were reading our minds, because as soon as we thought we were smooth sailing, out would come a masked man yielding a chainsaw! It was so fun holding on to each other and laughing every time one of the actors got us! I would love to go to the Haunted Schoolhouse before the Halloween season is over! I would also like to hear about popular haunted houses in your neck of the woods, so please leave me a comment about them!
10) Take a shopping trip: Today my mom and I went to TJMaxx to browse their fall and winter clothing. If you guys follow all of my OOTD’s, then you already know how much I love TJ’s! Unfortunately, there was nothing too impressive on our trip today, but it was still so fun to go with my mom and point out our likes and dislikes. It’s always a hit or miss when we make a TJ’s trip, so hopefully next time we go there will be tons of cute and new stuff! I can’t recommend going to one of your favorite stores for a little pick me up enough. In the words of Donna and Tom from Parks and Recreation: TREAT YOSELF!
So there you have it, my Lil Red Recommends for the week! What’s your favorite Halloween activity to do? I’d really like to get in some more Halloween fun before the week is up! Please leave me a comment if you have any suggestions! Have a great night! -Sarah
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